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BX  9225  .S644  P27 

1885 

Patterson, 

William  P.  : 

L848- 

1901. 

In  memorian 

i:  Rev. 

John 

B. 

Spotswood, 

D.D. 

IN     MEMORIAM 


Rev.  John  B.  S^tswood,  D.D., 

Minister  of  the  Gospel, 
1832-  1885. 


Born  February  8th,  1808. 

Died  February  17TH,  1885. 

Aged  77  Years. 

William    ?A.rlter"& 


he  being  dead  yet  s/>eakelh."—Heb.  x'u,  4. 


WILMINGTON,  DEL. 
FERRIS    BROS.,   PRINTERS    AND    BINDERS 

1885. 


INTRODUCTION. 


rHE    preparation    of    this    little    memorial 
volume  has  been  undertaken  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  Session  of  the  New  Castle  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

The  writer  would  take  the  present  oppor- 
tunity to  offer  a  few  words  of  explanation. 
At  the  spring  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Castle,  held  in  Port  Deposit,  Md.,  he 
was  appointed  to  prepare  a  sketch  of  the  life 
and  labors  of  Dr.  Spotswood,  and  to  read  the 
same  at  the  next  stated  meeting  in  the  fall, 
to  be  held  in  the  Lower  Brandy  wine  Church. 
The  paper  thus  prepared  and  presented  was 
favorably  received  ;  and  the  suggestion  was 
made,  on  the  part  of  several  of  the  more 
intimate  of  Dr.  Spotswood's  brethren  in  Pres- 
bytery, that  the  Session  of  the  church  might 
very  properly  assume  its  publication  for  the 
benefit    of   the    congregation   and    Presbytery. 


Something  similar  to  that  had  already  been 
considered  by  the  members  of  the  Session. 
On  the  evening  of  October  ioth,  in  the  pas- 
tor's study,  the  Session,  after  a  free  and  cor- 
dial consideration  of  the  matter,  very  unani- 
mously determined  to  issue  what  now  is 
affectionately  offered  to  the  friends  and  co- 
presbyters  of   Dr.  Spotswood. 

Sincere  acknowledgment  is  hereby  made 
to  the  family  of  Dr.  Spotswood  and  others 
who  have  so  kindly  furnished  the  writer  with 
needful  facts  and  dates,  thus  very  materially 
aiding  in  the  preparation  of  the  sketch. 

The  preparation  of  this  Memorial,  on  the 
part  of  the  writer,  has  been  a  labor  of  love. 
That  the  reading  of  it,  by  those  into  whose 
hands  it  may  fall,  may  not  only  greatly  com- 
fort but  also  stimulate  to  an  earnest  and 
faithful  service,  in  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer, 
is  the  fervent  hope  and  prayer  indulged  as  it 
is  now  sent  forth. 

William  P.  Patterson. 

The  Manse,  New  Castle,  Del., 
October  30TH,  1885. 


SKETCH   OF  LIFE   AND   LABORS. 


N  E  of  the  most  significant  facts  regard- 
ing the  founding  and  extension  of  Christ's 
Kingdom,  in  the  world,  is  the  use,  on  the 
part  of  God,  of  human  instrumentalities. 
Infinitely  wise,  He  never  errs  in  the  selection  of  His 
laborers.  In  the  call  of  men  to  the  ministry,  and 
in  the  sanctification  of  marked  and  peculiar  gifts, 
we  may,  very  frequently,  behold  a  wonderful  exhi- 
hibition  of  divine  providence.  Through  the  differ- 
ent periods  and  exigencies,  in  the  history  of  the 
Church,  God  has  never  left  Himself  without  faith- 
ful witnesses.  In  each  successive  period  the  Sav- 
iour has  remembered  His  promise,  made  to  the  first 
disciples,  and  has  been  indeed  ever  present  with  His 
Church,  raising  up  and  commissioning  those  quali- 
fied, both  by  nature  and  by  grace,  to  contend  with 
difficulty,  and  to  triumph  in  all  their  efforts  to  be 
valiant  for  the  truth.  And  after  the  good  fight  has 
been  entirely  fought,  and  the  victory  won ;  when 
these  devoted  servants  of  Christ  come  to  the    time 


O  IN  MEMORIAM. 

when  it  is  the  Lord's  will  that  they  shall  depart 
out  of  this  world  to  enter  upon  the  full  enjoyment 
of  their  reward  in  glory,  it  is  altogether  fitting  that 
the  Church  should  pause  a  moment  to  take,  at  least, 
a  brief  glance  at  their  lives  and  labors,  and  to  place 
on  record  her  heartfelt  appreciation  of,  and  gratitude 
for,  what  they  been  permitted  to  accomplish  in  the 
service  of  the  Master. 

Hence  there  is  laid  upon  us  the  performance 
of  a  duty  which  we  can  not  but  meet  gladly 
and  gratefully,  though  our  hearts  yearn  after  the 
departed,  and  are  filled  with  sincere  sorrow  because 
of  our  bereavement. 

John  Boswell  Spotswood,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  Feb.  8th,  1808,  in  Dinwiddie  Co., 
Va.,  being  the  son  of  Robert  and  Louisa  (Bott) 
Spotswood.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Sir 
Alexander  Spottswood,  the  colonial  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia from  1 7 10  to  1723,  from  whose  name  Spott- 
sylvania  county  was  known  as  such,  and  of  John 
Spottswood,  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews,  and  Lord 
Chancellor  of  Scotland.  After  a  thorough  prepara- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Petersburgh,  Va.,  he  entered 
Amherst    College,    graduating    therefrom    in    1828. 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WOOD,  I).  D.  7 

When  twenty  years  of  age  he  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  his  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  being  re- 
ceived to  the  communion  of  the  church  of  his  Alma 
Mater.  Following  upon  his  graduation  he  spent 
one  year  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  Va., 
and  two  years  (1831-32)  in  Princeton  Seminary. 

He  was  licensed  to  the  gospel  ministry  by  the 
Presbytery  of  East  Hanover,  in  Petersburgh,  Va.,  in 
April,  1832,  and  was  ordained  an  evangelist  by  the 
same  Presbytery,  Oct.  19th,  1833.  He  became  stated 
supply  of  the  Sussex  church,  Sussex  Co.,  Va.,  continu- 
ing in  that  capacity  until  his  installation  as  pastor,  April 
1 8th,  1835.  Being  released  from  this  charge  April  17th, 
1840,  he  acted  as  stated  supply  of  the  two  churches 
at  Mt.  Paran  and  Ellicott's  Mills  for  the  next  two 
years.  On  Thursday,  Nov.  9th,  1842,  he  was  in- 
ducted into  the  pastoral  office  in  the  church  at  New 
Castle,  Del.,  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle. 

In  1848,  he  received  from  Jefferson  College,  Pa., 
the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  in  Divinity,  a  be- 
stowment  which,  in  his  case,  was  fully  merited,  as 
they  who  know  his  qualifications  can  testify. 

Dr.  Spotswood  was  married  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa,  May  20,  1833,  to  Miss  Sarah  Peters  Willing, 
daughter    of    William    S.    Willing,    of  Philadelphia. 


8  IN  MEMORIAM. 

She  and  six  daughters  remain  to  mourn  a  loss, 
which,  to  them  especially,  is  irreparable.  His  death 
occurred  February  17,  1885.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  afternoon,  just  as  the  sun  was  about  sinking  to 
rest,  surrounded  by  those  whom  he  loved  better 
than  life,  without  pain,  cheered  and  upheld  by  a  firm 
faith  and  hope  in  his  divine  Lord  and  Redeemer, 
in  the  fulness  of  years  and  honor,  he  passed  peace- 
fully away — a  veritable  falling  asleep  in  Jesus. 
Closing  his  eyes  forever  upon  the  scenes  of  earth, 
it  was  his  joy  and  privilege  at  once  to  behold,  in 
the  Father's  House,  visions  of  perfect  beauty  and 
bliss,  and  to  receive  the  cordial  welcome,  "Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord." 

The  Sabbath  preceding  his  death  he  was  to  have 
preached  in  the  pulpit  from  which,  for  so  many 
years,  he  had  proclaimed  a  pure  gospel.  For  some 
time  previously  he  had  experienced,  for  him,  an  un- 
usual degree  of  health,  and  he  yearned  once  more 
to  lift  up  his  voice  for  Christ,  but  such  was  not  the 
will  of  the  Lord. 

In  this  brief 'outline  of  a  half  century  of  labor, 
in  the  gospel  ministry,  we  have,  after  all,  but  a  feeble 
representation  of  the  steadfastness  and  fidelity  of  a 


REV.  JOHN  D.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  9 

good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  can  not,  of 
course,  in  this  limited  space,  recount  the  actual  re- 
sults in  the  manifestation  of  the  truth.  Who,  in  fact 
can  enumerate  the  fruits  in  the  life  of  any  true  de- 
voted servant  of  the  Lord  ?  Not  until  the  record 
is  opened,  in  the  last  day,  shall  we  know  of  the 
souls  redeemed;  of  the  strengthening  of  the  Church 
of  God's  Son ;  and  of  the  full  measure  of  good 
really   accomplished. 

In  his  missionary  work,  carried  on  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Presbytery  of  East  Hanover,  he  proved 
his  unreserved  consecration  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
He  was  ever  faithful  and  enduring.  Never  did  he 
spare  himself,  either  in  sunshine  or  in  storm.  As  a 
pastor  he  was  always  acceptable,  and  remarkably 
successful  in  winning  souls  to  the  Redeemer. 

During  his  first  pastorate  he  was  instrumental 
in  erecting  two  churches  in  the  county  of  Sussex, 
Va.,  and  another  in  Jerusalem,  the  capital  of  South- 
ampton county,  in  the  same  State.  But  his  health 
failing  him,  he  was  compelled  to  relinquish  these 
charges,  which  had  become  more  than  pleasant  to 
him,  and  wherein  he  had  been  permitted  to  see  a 
very  interesting  work  increase  from  a  feeble  begin- 
ning.     Purchasing  a    farm    in    the    neighborhood  of 


IO  IN  MEMORIAM. 

Baltimore,  he  sought  rest;  but  rest  was  not  for 
him.  The  Lord  had  other  work  in  reserve  for 
him.  Being  guided  to  a  recently  renovated  church, 
within  three  i  miles  of  his  residence,  whose  pulpit 
was  irregularly  supplied,  it  was  proposed  that  he 
should  address  the  congregation  on  one  occasion 
when  the  expected  supply  had  failed  to  appear.  The 
consequence  was  an  invitation,  most  cordially  given, 
to  assume  the  oversight  of  their  spiritual  interests  ; 
and  from  that  time  Mt.  Paran  Church  became  estab- 
lished on    a  firm  foundation. 

He  was  next  called  to  minister  to  the  Pres- 
byterian organization  at  Ellicott's  Mills,  now  known 
as  Ellicott  City,  Md.  In  addition  to  his  pulpit  and 
pastoral  labor,  he  set  himself  resolutely  to  the  work 
of  collecting  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  church  build- 
ing needed  at  this  point.  Succeeding  in  this  latter 
undertaking,  he  felt  free  to  accept  the  call  tendered 
him  by  the  church  in  New  Castle,  Del.  He  com- 
menced his  work,  in  this  new  field  of  labor,  on  the 
2d  of  June,  1842,  and  was  duly  installed,  as  pastor, 
in  November  following. 

In  the  installation  services  Rev.  James  Latta 
presided,  propounded  the  constitutional  questions,  and 
delivered  the  charge  to  the  pastor;  Rev.  J.  C.  Backus, 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WOOD,  D.  D.  II 

of  the  Presbytery  of  Baltimore,  by  request,  preached 
the  sermon ;  and  Rev.  Reese  Happersett  gave  the 
charge  to  the  congregation. 

Dr.  Spotswood  resigned  this  charge  in  the 
spring  of  1883,  impelled  thereto  because  of  im- 
paired physical  health.  The  dissolution  of  the  pas- 
toral relation,  painful  in  the  highest  degree,  gave 
rise  to  the  expression,  by  the  congregation  and  the 
Presbytery  alike,  of  the  warmest  sentiments  of  re- 
gret and  affectionate  regard,  as  will  be  seen  later 
on  in  the  Memorial. 

Now,  certainly,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  of 
Dr.  Spotswood  that  he  was  an  eminently  faithful 
preacher  of  divine  truth.  His  pulpit  ministrations 
were  always  simple,  evangelical,  scriptural,  tending 
to  the  edification  of  believers  and  the  conversion  of 
sinners;  and  saying  this  much,  we  speak  in  terms 
of  the  highest  praise.  Happy  he  of  whom  such 
testimony  can  truthfully  be  borne !  Dr.  Spotswood 
knew  what  he  believed ;  nor  did  he  ever  fear  to  de- 
clare unto  men  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  His 
one  supreme,  overruling  purpose  seemed  to  be,  if 
we  understand  his  character  aright,  that  Christ 
should  be  magnified  in  him,  whether  by  life  or  by 
death.     Yet  loyal  as  he  was  to  truth  and    duty,  he 


12  IN  MEMORIAM. 

possessed,  at  the  same  time,  a  heart  that  was  tender 
and  affectionate,  in  no  small  degree.  He  knew 
nothing  of  moroseness.  He  was  ever  bright  and 
cheerful.  When  he  could,  it  was  his  delight  to 
contribute  freely  to  the  joy  and  pleasure  of  others. 
And  even  when  increasing  bodily  weakness  became 
his  daily  portion,  it  still  was  his  earnest  desire  to 
minister,  as  far  as  possible,  to  the  comfort  and  wel- 
fare of  those  about  him.  Not  soon  will  his  mem- 
ory fade  away  as  a  kind  and  true  husband  and 
father !  Not  soon  will  he  be  forgotten,  as  the  trust- 
ing, helping  friend,  by  the  many  to  whom  he  ever 
rejoiced  to  bring  relief  and  consolation  ;  for  it  is 
noteworthy,  in  this  connection,  that  he  could  not 
know  of  distress  or  sorrow  or  want,  without  instinct- 
ively holding  out  the  liberal  hand,  or  speaking  words 
to  cheer  and  to  comfort.  And  could  all  those  to 
whose  spiritual  necessities  he  ministered,  for  more 
than  a  half  century,  come  forward  to  testify  in  his 
behalf,  it  would  be  to  speak  of  him  as  the  wise  coun- 
sellor, the  faithful  and  affectionate  pastor,  the  unerr- 
ing guide. 

As  the  end  of  his  active  ministry  drew  nigh,  it 
was  his  regret  that,  because  of  age  and  bodily  in- 
firmities,  he   was    incapacitated    from    doing   all    he 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOODi  D.  D.  1 3 

wished  to  do  for  his  Master  —  in  the  way  of  pas- 
toral duty,  for  example ;  but  whatever  he  lacked,  in 
this  respect,  was  fully  supplied  by  those  who  yet 
remain  loving  and  faithful  toilers  in  the  church  so 
dear  to  him.  In  a  word,  his  was  a  character  of 
almost  ideal  excellence  and  beauty  —  simple,  uncal- 
culating,  unassuming,  trustful. 

Nor  should  we  forget,  in  this  review  of  the  life 
and  labor  of  so  devoted  a  servant  of  God,  that  he 
was  pastor,  for  over  forty  years,  of  an  historic 
church.  The  congregation  of  the  New  Castle  church 
is  perhaps  older  than  that  of  any  other  of  our  denom- 
ination in  this  county,  the  date  of  organization,  with 
"  strong  probability,"  extending  as  far  back  as  1684 
or  1685.  In  1703  it  had  a  bench  of  Elders,  a  Board 
of  Trustees,  and  numbers  and  wealth  sufficient 
to  justify  the  erection  of  a  new  house  of  worship, — 
elements  which  surely  indicate  that  it  had  been 
in  existence  for  some  considerable  time.*  And 
he  was  the  one  minister,  out  of  less  than  a  score 
whose  united  pastorates  covered  well  nigh  two  cen- 
turies, who  remained  the  longest  time  in  the  pas- 
toral   office  —  a   period   of  almost    forty -two   years. 


*An  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  Castle,  Del.,  by 
the  Rev.  J.  B.  Spotswcod,  D.  D.,  p.  15. 


14  IN  MEMO RI AM. 

Following  such  men  as  Robert  Cross,  Gilbert  Ten- 
nent,  John  Dick,  John  E.  Latta, — men  whom  history 
holds  up  to  our  view  as  eminently  qualified  for  the 
great  work  to  which  they  consecrated  their  ener- 
gies —  he  was  far  from  being  their  inferior  in  any 
wise.  And  with  them  he  will  go  down  to  posterity, 
in  the  history  of  this  church,  justly  venerated  and 
had  in  grateful  remembrance. 

One  event  of  considerable  interest,  which  trans- 
pired during  Dr.  Spotswood's  pastorate  at  New  Cas- 
tle, was  the  erection  of  the  present  substantial  and 
beautiful  structure,  in  which,  for  about  thirty  years, 
the  congregation  has  met  statedly  to  worship  Al- 
mighty God.  The  old  building,  dating  back  to  1705, 
and  still  fragrant  with  hallowed  memories  of  the 
past,  proved  too  small  for  pressing  need.  Every 
pew  was  rented,  and  there  were  no  accommodations 
for  a  larger  number.  Hence  we  are  glad  to  know 
that  the  work  of  providing  a  more  commodious  and 
comfortable  edifice  was  undertaken,  on  the  part  of  the 
people,  with  commendable  unanimity  and  liberality. 

It  was  perhaps  owing  to  the  retiring  disposi- 
tion fbr  which  Dr.  Spotswood  was  noted,  that  posi- 
tions of  trust,  in  the  gift  of  the  church,  were  not 
more    frequently  accepted    by  him.      Yet .  for  a   life 


REV.  JOHN  B.   SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  I  5 

otherwise  public  than  that  of  the  consecrated  pastor 
he  seems  to  have  had  no  ambition  whatever.  He 
wished  to  be  known  simply  as  a  faithful  laborer  in 
the  Master's  vineyard.  Nevertheless,  in  the  early 
history  of  Lincoln  University,  when  it  was  called 
Ashmun  Institute,  we  find  his  name  among  those 
who  were  its  trustees.  And  for  some  considerable 
time  he  served  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Lafay- 
ette College,  at  Easton,  Pa.,  giving  freely  of  his  time 
and  ability,  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  the  interests 
of  that  Institution.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  an  honorary  member  of  the  Historical  Societies 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia. 

We  rejoice  greatly  that  God,  in  His  providence, 
raised  up  such  an  one  as  our  venerated  father  and 
friend,  endowing  him  so  plentifully  with  the  gifts 
and  graces  which  made  him  a  well-doer  and  a 
source  of  blessing,  in  the  generation  and  commu- 
nity in  which  he  lived.  And  we  are  none  the  less 
glad  that  he  was  spared  to  a  ripe  old  age,  "  com- 
ing to  his  grave  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in,  in 
his  season." 

There  are  those  of  us  who  can  very  sincerely  re- 
cord our  sense  of  the  loss  we  have  sustained.  Many 
indeed  are  the  ties  and  personal  relations  of  an  en- 


1 6  IN  MEMORIAM. 

dearing  character,  that  have  been  sundered  in  this  dis- 
pensation of  divine  providence;  but  only  for  a  season. 
Soon  there  shall  be  a  re-union  lasting  as  eternity 
itself. 

Contemplating,  then,  the  departure  of  the  good 
from  earth  to  heaven ;  regarding  them  as  they  en- 
ter the  gates  of  pearl  with  songs  of  deliverance  upon 
their  lips,  we  may  well  learn  of  the  sustaining  power 
of  God's  grace,  and  draw  therefrom  a  comfortable 
hope  of  our  own  departure. 

The  lesson  that  should  ever  be  impressed  upon 
our  minds  is  that  of  the  importance  of  being  al- 
ways ready ;  for,  in  such  an  hour  as  we  think  not 
the  Son  of  Man  cometh.  Happy,  thrice  happy  we 
if,  when  He  cometh,  He  shall  find  us  with  our  lamps 
trimmed,  our  lights  burning,  and  we  ourselves  pre- 
pared to  enter  with  Him,  into  the  Marriage  Supper 
of  the  Lamb ! 

"  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto 
me,  Write :  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the 
Lord  from  henceforth;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that 
they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do 
follow  them."  (Rev.  xiv:  13.) 


II 


I H  E  services  connected  with  the  burial 
of  Dr.  Spotswood  took  place  on  Friday, 
Feb.  "4th,  1885,  at  two  o'clock  P.M.  A 
brief  service  was  held  at  his  late  resi- 
dence, consisting  of  the  reading  of  portions  of  Scrip- 
ure  by  the  pastor,  and  prayer  by  Rev.  S.  A.  Gayley, 
D.  D.,  of  the  West  Nottingham  Church,  and  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century  a  warm  personal  friend  and  co- 
presbyter.  The  casket  was  then  placed  in  a  hearse 
and  borne  to  the  church,  which  was  completely  filled 
with  the  intimate  friends  of  the  family  and  those  with 
whom  Dr.  Spotswood  had  been  associated  in  his 
official  and  social  life  in  the  congregation,  community, 
and  Presbytery.  As  a  mark  of  respect  the  public 
schools,  together  with  the  places  of  business,  were 
closed  during  the  funeral  services.  The  pall-bear- 
ers, on  this  occasion,  were  Messrs.  George  Gray, 
Attorney- General  of  Delaware,  now  United  States 
Senator;  William  F.  Lane,  a  Ruling  Elder  in  the 
church ;  James  G.  Shaw,  William  D.  Greer,  George 
W.  Turner,  and  John  Johns. 


1 8  IN  MEMORIAM. 

When  the  casket  had  been  reverently  placed 
before  the  pulpit,  the  pastor  commenced  the  services 
by  announcing  the  736th  Hymn, 

"  How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies, 
When  sinks  a  weary  soul  to  rest ! 
How  mildly  beam  the  closing  eyes ! 
How  gently  heaves  th'  expiring  breast!" 

This  was  followed  by  the  reading  of  the  twenty- 
third  and  forty-sixth  psalms,  by  Rev.  S.  A.  Gayley, 
D.  D.  Prayer  was  then  offered  by  Rev.  Justus  T. 
Umsted,  D.  D.,  of  Smyrna,  Del.,  after  which  the  pas- 
tor spoke  as  follows : 

Upon  one  of  the  roads  leading  from  the  clas- 
sic old  town  of  Princeton,  it  was  my  privilege 
once  to  behold  a  rare,  and  beautiful  sight.  In  com- 
pany with  a  classmate  I  had  gone  for  a  walk  at 
the  close  of  a  day  especially  marked  for  brightness 
and  beauty.  Nature  was  preparing  to  adorn  her- 
self in  her  matchless  robes  of  the  Spring  time. 
Passing  on  we  reached  a  spot  from  which  could  be 
seen,  in  all  his  glory,  the  sun  as  he  sank  to  rest. 
In  mute  admiration  we  stood  to  gaze.  Slowly  the 
shades  of  evening  began  to  gather.  As  the  sun 
sank  lower  and  lower,  until  finally  disappearing  be- 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  1 9 

low  the  horizon,  the  cloudless  sky  was  bathed  in  a 
flood  of  reflected  light;  yet  upon  fields  and  trees 
were  to  be  seen  nought  but  sombre  shadows. 

And  I  could  not  restrain  the  thought,  how 
true  a  picture  of  the  earthly  life  —  so  full  of  lights 
and  shadows  !  There  come  to  us  times  when  all 
seems  dark  about  us;  a  terrible  weight  of  grief 
presses  heavily  upon  our  hearts ;  yet,  to  the  eye  of 
faith  lifted  above  and  beyond,  there  is  presented  a 
splendor  that  is  full  and  satisfying. 

And  has  there  not  come  to  us  to-day  one  of 
these  times  of  mingled  joy  and  sorrow  ?  We  meet 
in  God's  House  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  great  af- 
fliction. A  sorrow,  touching  each  of  us  in  varying 
degree,  has  fallen  upon  us.  Nevertheless,  as  we 
view  our  beloved  dead,  we  can  Jhank  God  that  bright 
spots  do  exist  in  the  midst  of  this  world  of  shad- 
ows, that  the  mass  of  human  sadness  is  at  times 
relieved  by  glimpses  of  unalloyed  happiness  and 
peace;  for  as  we  look  we  behold  a  body  out  of 
which,  as  from  an  earthly  tabernacle,  there  has  gone 
a  soul  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord.  Already  this 
venerated  and  beloved  servant  of  God  has  entered 
upon  his  reward ;  earth  has  been  left  behind  with 
all  its  sin  and  suffering  and  trial. 


20  IN  MEMORIAM. 

As  the  successor  of  Dr.  Spotswood  in  the  pas- 
torate of  this  church,  it  has  fallen  to  my  lot  to  con- 
duct these  funeral  services,  and  to  speak  a  few  words 
appropriate  to  the  occasion.  This  I  can  not  but  re- 
gard as  in  the  light  of  a  privilege  —  sad  enough, 
it  is  true,  but  still  a  privilege.  With  you  I  would 
join  in  laying  upon  this  casket  my  own  tribute  of 
personal  respect  and  esteem ;  for  in  this  death  I 
feel  that  I  too  have  been  bereaved  of  a  friendship 
that  has  never  been  otherwise  than  warm,  and  true, 
and  helpful. 

In  my  own  settlement,  a  few  months  ago,  as 
your  pastor,  Dr.  Spotswood  took  the  deepest  interest. 
In  communicating  the  fact  of  the  call  which  it  be- 
came his  duty  to  moderate,  he  used  these  words  — 
words  which  undoubtedly  indicated  in  the  plainest 
manner  possible  his  abiding  affection  for  the  church 
in  which  he  had  accomplished  such  a  blessed  min- 
istry :  —  "It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  inform  you 
that  the  call  was  not  only  unanimous  but  cordial. 
I  sincerely  hope  that  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church 
may  enable  you  to  see  your  way  clear  to  accept 
it.  .  .  .  After  a  long  experience  I  can  assure  you 
that  you  will  find  this  a  pleasant  charge,  and  a  prom- 
ising  field    of  usefulness,   and   that   you   will   meet 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  21 

with  a  cordial  reception."  And  well  do  I  remember 
the  heartfelt  greeting  with  which  he  met  me,  in  his 
own  study,  on  the  morning  of  my  coming  here  to 
assume  pastoral  work.  "  I  am  glad  you  have  come. 
May  God  richly  bless  you  in  all  your  labors  for 
the  good  of  this  people.  You  will  always  find  them 
kind  and  true."  That  greeting  I  shall  ever  cher- 
ish in  the  most  grateful  remembrance,  being,  as  it 
is,  among  the  most  pleasant  of  all  my  memories. 
Surely,  thrice  blessed  is  any  pastor  who  at  the  be- 
ginning of  his  ministry  receives  so  genuine  a  wel- 
come, and  on  whom  rests  such  a  happy  benediction!* 
Just  three  days  ago  he  quietly  and  peacefully 
fell  on  sleep.  And  may  we  not  say  of  him  —  adopt- 
ing the  words  used  by  the  apostle  of  himself—  that 
he  fought  a  good  fight,  that  he  kept  the  faith,  that 
he  finished  his  course  ?  And  what  a  joyful  ending 
of  the  earthly  career!  Assured  he  certainly  must 
have  been  of  the  fadeless  crown  which  the  Lord, 
the  righteous  Judge,  gives  to  all  them  who  love 
His  appearing;  and, entering  into  his  Lord's  presence, 
he  has  already  received  that  crown  as  the  divine 
acknowledgment  of  fidelity  and  love. 

*Here  followed  the  facts  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Spotswood,  which   have  been  in- 
troduced into  the  preceding  sketch. 


22  IN  MEMORIAM. 

When,  very  shortly  after  the  coming  of  death, 
I  was  summoned  to  the  house  of  mourning,  as  I 
looked  upon  the  face  from  which  had  vanished 
every  trace  of  struggle  and  pain,  nothing  being  left 
but  the  calmness  of  an  eternal  rest,  I  was  forcibly 
reminded  of  those  beautiful  words  of  another : 

"  Oh,  where  are  words  to  tell  the  joy  unpriced 
Of  the  rich  heart,  that,  breasting  waves  no  more, 

Drifts  thus  to  shore, 
Laden  with  peace  and  tending  unto  Christ?" 

It  was  indeed  the  presence  of  death,  but  of  death 
from  which  the  Redeemer  has  taken  the  sting.  Peace, 
blessed  peace  prevailed,  and  a  faith  which  interpreted 
this  dispensation  of  the  Father  as  wise  and  good ;  and 
down  upon  us  all  there  seemed  to  shine  a  light  as 
from  Heaven  itself.  The  Comforter  was  there,  sustain- 
ing and  cheering  the  hearts  that  had  been  so  sorely 
stricken. 

As  we  think  of  this  long  and  useful  life  just 
closed  upon  earth,  our  minds,  I  am  sure,  will  in- 
stantly revert  to  this  scripture,  "  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying  unto  me,  Write :  Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth :  yea, 
saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors  ; 
and  their  works  do   follow   them."       Here,  unques- 


REV.  JOHN  B.   SPOTS  WOOD,  D.  D.  2$ 

tionably,  are  suggested  two  thoughts  for  our  con- 
solation :  first,  the  thought  of  resting  from  labor, 
and,  secondly,  that  of  the  undying  results  of  labor. 

We  have  been  privileged  to  look  upon  a  fin- 
ished life, —  a  life  in  which  the  ministry  of  suffering 
has  held  its  own  appointed  place  ;  in  which  efforts 
for  Christ  and  the  good  of  souls  have  abounded, 
and  that  too  without  being  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 
But  now  the  hand  that  was  ever  ready  to  bless 
and  to  guide  is  motionless ;  the  brain  that  ever  de- 
lighted in  the  study  of  God's  word,  for  the  spirit- 
ual nourishment  of  believers,  that  rejoiced  to  plan 
for  the  extension  of  the  Master's  cause,  is  still ; 
the  discipline  of  life  is  ended;  now  there  is  no 
more  sorrow,  no  more  sin,  no  more  death ;  for  the 
former  things  have  passed  away.  Hope  has  had  a 
bright  fruition,  faith  being  changed  into  a  glorious 
vision  of  God.  - 

Yet  while  there  has  been  granted  rest  from  la- 
bor, we  must  not  conclude  that  the  work  of  God's 
servant  is  done.  His  works  do  follow  him.  Be- 
cause we  shall  no  more  see  this  venerable  form 
passing  in  and  out  among  us ;  shall  no  more  hear 
the  voice,  once  so  pleasant  to  us,  we  are  not  to 
suppose  that  the  final  stage  has  been  reached,  that 


24  IN  MEMORIAM. 

there  is  nothing  beyond.  For  remember  how  great 
a  power  of  multiplication  there  is  in  a  holy  life, 
even  in  such  a  ministry  as  we  see  here  brought  to 
a  close  among  men.  What  of  the  hundreds  of 
discourses  delivered  from  this  sacred  desk,  by  so 
devoted  a  servant  of  the  Lord  during  the  genera- 
tion past !  What  of  the  numberless  prayers  offered 
with  and  in  behalf  of  others  —  the  yearnings  of  one 
anxious  to  lead  souls  to  Christ,  to  comfort  and 
strengthen  many  in  the  time  of  sickness  and  deep 
affliction  !  What  of  the  earnest  entreaties,  the  faith- 
ful warnings,  addressed  to  those  in  the  ways  of  sin, 
whom  he  would  have  been  glad  to  bring  all  the 
way  to  the  Saviour!  Are  they  lost  forever?  We 
can  not  believe  it.  But  just  as  the  good  seed  is 
cast  into  the  soil,  takes  root,  and  springs  up  into 
abundant  fruitfulness,  so  also  may  we  say  of  these 
labors  that  have  abounded  in  Christ.  The  toiler  in 
the  Master's  Vineyard  does  not  always  live  to  see 
the  completed  results  of  his  efforts.  Of  many  a 
faithful  pastor  it  may  be  affirmed  that  the  day  of 
his  death  witnesses  the  birth  of  not  a  few  souls  into 
the  kingdom  of  grace.  "  The  fruits  of  years  of  toil 
have  ripened  in  that  day  when  the  workman  laid 
aside  his  labors." 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSIVOOD,  D.  D.  2$ 

Shall  this  providence  of  God  come  to  us  and 
speak  in  vain  ?  Ob,  rather  let  the  prayer  ascend 
from  our  hearts  to-day,  that  the  Spirit  of  all  grace- 
may  fully  sanctify  to  each  one  this  bereavement.  If 
it  were  possible  to  reach  with  my  voice  the  hearts 
of  those  who  have  so  often  heard  the  entreaties  of 
this  faithful  pastor,  and  for  whom  he  so  importu- 
nately interceded  and  labored,  I  could  only  beg  them 
to  stop  and  give  serious  consideration  to  the  duty 
to  which  they  have  been  so  frequently  urged.  To 
the  very  last  his  conscious  thoughts  were  of  the 
church  he  loved  so  well  and  served  so  long  and 
faithfully.  Will  not  you,  my  unbelieving  friends, 
"  let  the  dumb  lips  now  speak  to  you  in  tones  that 
shall  prevail  over  your  unbelief?  Will  you  not  let 
this  cold  heart  quicken  your  purpose  to  live  for 
God  ?"  Ah,  grand  indeed,  would  be  the  termination 
of  this  earthly  life  if,  under  the  divine  blessing,  "it 
might  become  the  occasion  of  the  conversion  of 
some  souls  from  sin,  and  their  deliverance  from  eter- 
nal death." 

But  there  remains  another  duty  for  us  to 
perform.  We  must  take  these  mortal  remains  and 
lay  them  in  the  grave.  As  we  go  forth  bearing 
them  lovingly  we  are  strong  in  the  hope  and    con- 


26  IN  MEMO  R I  AM. 

fidence  of  Him  who  is  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life. 
Thanks  be  unto  God  !  we  know  in  whom  we  have  be- 
lieved, and  are  persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  keep  that 
which  we  have  committed  unto  Him  against  that  day. 

We  looll  away  beyond  the  coffin  and  the  grave, 
beyond  the  mists  that  so  blind  us,  and  the  clouds  that 
so  gather  about  us,  in  this  vale  of  tears  into  the 
glory  and  the  joy  of  Heaven. 

"  The  Eternity  of  the  good  is  enflooded  with 
beams  of  joy.  What  is  death  to  the  just  ?  It  is 
passing  from  darkness  into  the  light.  On  this  side 
the  grave  men  are  pilgrims  ;  on  that  they  are  peace- 
ful guests  in  the  Inn  of  Perfect  Rest.  Here  they 
are  strangers ;  there  they  are  sons.  Here  they  are 
slaves  of  sin  ;  there  they  are  the  Lord's  freemen. 
Here  they  are  ever- dying  ;  there  they  have  ever- 
lasting life.  Here  they  are  victims  of  pain,  sorrow, 
of  all  human  ills  and  weaknesses;  there  they  shall 
renew  their  youth,  they  shall  mount  up  on  wings 
as  eagles,  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  they 
shall  walk  and  not  faint.  Welcome  then,  welcome 
Eternity,  made  radiant  for  us  by  the  redeeming 
work  of  Christ!" 

The  Rev.  J.  Howard  Nixon,  D.  D.,  pastor  of 
the    Central   Presbyterian  Church,  Wilmington,  Del- 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WOOD,  D.  D.  2  J 

aware  who  had  been  requested  by  the  family  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  services,  then  made  the  following  ad- 
dress : 

For  more  than  fifty  years  Dr.  Spotswood  was 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Choosing  this 
office  in  early  youth,  he  fitted  himself  for  the  per- 
formance of  its  sacred  duties  by  careful  preparation. 
He  devoted  to  it  the  time  and  strength  of  his  ripen- 
ing years,  and  pursued  its  duties  with  diligence  and 
delight  even  down  to  old  age.  It  seems  fitting 
therefore  that  to  the  tribute  which  has  just  been 
offered  to  his  worth  as  a  man  in  all  the  relations 
of  life,  something  should  be  added  in  respect  to 
his  character  and  standing  as  a  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

In  the  absence  of  those  who  from  much  longer 
and  more  intimate  association  might  better  have  dis- 
charged this  service,  I  will  venture  to  offer  a  few 
words  expressive  of  the  deep  respect  and  affection 
with  which  he  inspired  his  brethren  in  the  ministry. 
Others,  possessing  a  more  intimate  acquaintance, 
might  have  spoken  with  more  fulness  and  more  dis- 
crimination, but  no  one  could  bring  to  this  service 
a  more  sincere  regard. 


28  IN  MEMO RI AM. 

And  first  of  all,  I  am  sure  that  all  his  brethren 
would  bear  testimony  to  the  blamelessness  of  Dr. 
Spotswood's  ministerial  life.  At  first  view  this  may 
not  seem  much  to  say,  but  rightly  understood  it 
means  very  much.  In  these  days  the  ministerial 
office  demands  high  qualifications,  and  among  them 
personal  excellence  of  varied  character.  Once  the 
office  was  a  shield  from  the  arrows  of  criticism. 
The  priest,  it  was  thought,  could  do  no  wrong,  at 
least  none  which  a  layman  should  presume  to  judge. 
Now  this  is  all  changed.  Instead  of  protection  from 
attack,  it  is  almost  an  incitement  to  attack.  If  the 
minister  does  not  honor  his  office,  it  now  confers 
no  honor  upon  him.  He  is  a  city  set  upon  a  hill, 
and  conduct  which  would  excite  little  comment  in 
another,  will  bring  discredit  upon  him.  And  the 
conception  of  character  demanded  by  ministerial 
office,  always  high  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  has 
been  steadily  rising  during  the  last  fifty  years.  And 
it  is  a  great  thing  to  say  truly,  that  he  kept  pace 
fully  with  the  ever-increasing  demands  for  excellence 
of  every  kind  in  those  who  bear  this  office.  During 
more  than  eight  years  in  which  I  have  been  his 
co-presbyter  I  have  never  heard  the  slightest  criti- 
cism upon  him  by  one  of  his  brethren.     I  am  sure 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WO  OB,  D.  D.  20, 

I  express  the  feelings  of  those  who  have  known 
him  longest  and  most  intimately,  when  I  say  that 
in  simplicity  of  purpose,  and  purity  of  motive,  and 
fidelity  in  service,  he  was  as  nearly  blameless  as 
the  common  imperfection  of  our  nature  enables  any 
man  to  be.  What  he  was  here  as  a  Pastor  is  writ- 
ten on  your  hearts.  What  he  was  among  his  breth- 
ren as  a  Presbyter  I  am  sure  we  shall  not  soon 
forget. 

Dr.  Spotswood  gained  the  entire  respect  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry  by  his  complete  equipment 
intellectually  for  his  work.  He  was  a  well-taught 
theologian.  The  judgment  of  his  brethren  in  this 
respect  appears  in  the  fact  that  for  years  he  had 
been  the  chairman  of  the  most  important  Commit- 
tee of  his  Presbytery — the  one  charged  with  the 
examination  in  theology  of  candidates  for  the  min- 
istry. In  every  respect  he  was  a  thoroughly  well 
informed  Presbyterian  Clergyman.  Without  a  trace 
of  intolerance  or  bigotry,  he  yet  loved  intensely  and 
devotedly  his  Church.  He  understood  her  doctrines, 
and  loved  them  because  those  were  the  forms  in 
which  God's  truth  had  quickened  his  soul  and  nour- 
ished his  Christian  life  and  experience.  He  loved 
her  work.     All  her  benevolent  enterprises  were  dear 


30  IN  MEMORIAM. 

to  his  heart,  and  he  so  commended  them  to  his 
people  that  for  years  this  church  has  been  one  of 
the  most  benevolent  in  the  Presbytery.  Perhaps  one 
reason  for  this  was  that  in  this  matter  he  not  only 
asked  others  to  give,  but  gave  freely  himself.  He 
loved  her  worship  in  all  its  old  simplicity.  His 
whole  life  from  early  youth  down  to  ripe  old  age  was 
spent  in  her  service  with  a  zeal  which  was  constant, 
if  not  flaming,  and  with  an  ability  and  fidelity  which, 
if  not  dazzling  and  meteoric,  was  steady  and  clear 
like  the  sun  which  lights  our  path  from  year  to  year. 
No  higher  evidence  of  this  can  be  found  than  the 
fact  that  for  forty  years  in  a  community  which  has 
changed  far  less  than  most,  he  has  retained  an  un- 
diminished hold  upon  the  confidence  and  interest  of 
his  people.  No  man  could  have  done  this  who  did 
not  add  to  a  blameless  life  the  intellect  and  good 
sense  needed  in  this  work,  together  with  those  stu- 
dious habits  by  which  he  could  keep  step  in  a  fair 
degree  with  the  rapid  intellectual  advance  of  the 
last  generation. 

To  the  confidence  inspired  by  his  blameless  life 
and  the  respect  won  by  his  ability  and  attainments, 
was  added  a  strong  personal  affection  by  those  of 
his  brethren  who  knew  him  best.     This  was  due  to 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WO  OD,  D.  D.  3  I 

the  kindliness  and  inbred  courtesy  of  his  nature. 
One  needed  not  to  be  long  or  much  with  him  to  see 
how  thoroughly  this  spirit  ruled  him.  If  I  may  be 
pardoned  a  personal  allusion,  I  will  say  that  more 
than  twenty-eight  years  ago  I  spent  a  few  days  with 
him  at  a  watering-place  in  Virginia.  It  was  my 
first  year  in  the  ministry,  and  he  was  then  the  friend 
and  peer  of  many  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  but  if  I  had  been  one  of  them,  he 
could  not  have  been  more  cordial  or  more  kind. 
The  impression  left  was  such  that  twenty  years  after 
when  coming  into  his  Presbytery,  one  of  the  pleas- 
ures I  anticipated  was  a  renewal  of  the  long  inter- 
rupted acquaintance,  and  in  that  satisfaction  I  have 
not  been  disappointed.  To  come  into  any  intimate 
association  with  Dr.  Spotswood  was  to  love  him. 
Those  of  our  brethren  who  have  known  him  long- 
est and  best  are  the  ones  who  love  him  best.  In- 
tellect wins  respect,  but  heart  alone  wins  affection. 
He  gave  his  brethren  kind  thoughts  and  sympathies, 
and  they  returned  the  gift.  His  presence  in  Pres- 
bytery always  gave  pleasure,  and  his  absence  will 
give  a  sense  of  loss  in  future  gatherings  to  all  those 
who  have  been  with  him  in  the  past.    - 

But   the    very   completeness    and    symmetry   of 


32  IN  MEMO  R I  AM. 

Dr.  Spotswood's  character  make  any  prolonged  de- 
tail the  more  difficult.  He  was  a  well-rounded  man, 
and  so  he  touched  life  at  many  points,  always  with 
a  kindly,  gentle  touch.  I  at  least  never  noticed  any 
sharp  angles  in  his  character.  The  blending  of  a 
clear  and  abiding  sense  of  duty  with  constant  kind- 
liness of  feeling,  seems  to  me  one  of  his  most 
marked  features.  Several  times  since  I  have  heard 
of  his  death,  I  have  thought  of  the  simple  descrip- 
tion given  in  Holy  Scripture  of  Barnabas  the  Son 
of  Consolation,  "He  was  a  good  man!*  When  we 
have  added  to  that  he  was  a  faithful  minister  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  what  more  need  one  wish  to  say  ? 
His  long,  useful,  faithful  life  has  closed.  But 
this  is  not  the  end  of  earth.  The  good  men  do, 
lives  after  them.  Of  those  who  die  in  the  Lord  the 
word  is  written,  "  their  works  do  follow  them."  Long 
will  be  the  train  of  holy  influences  which  will  fol- 
low these  fifty  years  of  faithful  loving  service.  Think 
of  the  higher  purposes,  the  purer  motives,  the  better 
lives,  his  ministry  has  helped  to  form  and  guide ! 
Think  how  these  things  will  go  on  reproducing 
themselves  in  other  hearts  —  in  the  children  and 
friends  of  those  whom  he  has  led  to,  or  aided  in, 
their  Christian  life !     Not  time  but  eternity  must  de- 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  33 

velop  and  measure  these  things.  What  a  heritage 
of  blessing  in  his  pure  good  life  for  children  and 
grandchildren  !  And  for  him,  we  may  be  sure  that 
his  parting  spirit  was  gladdened  with  that  welcome 
from  his  Lord,  4<  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant," which  will  be,  for  all  who  receive  it,  the 
passport  to  eternal  joy.  "  And  they  that  be  wise 
shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament; 
and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever."  (Dan.  12:  3.) 

After  the  above  remarks  the  147th  Hymn  was 
read, 

"  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 
On  which  the  Prince  of  Glory  died, 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss, 

And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride," 

which  being  sung,  and  the  benediction  pronounced, 
the  body  was  carried  to  the  cemetery  for  burial 
in  the  family  lot.  The  Rev.  Alexander  Proudfit,  now 
pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  church,  Baltimore, 
assisted  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  the  services  at 
the  grave ;  the  former  offering  a  fervent  prayer,  and 
the  latter  repeating  a  solemn  committal  service  and 
pronouncing  the  benediction. 


34  IN  MEMORIAM. 

Slowly,  sadly  departed  those  who  had  accompa- 
nied these  mortal  remains,  tenderly  loved,  to  their 
final  resting  place  on  earth;  sorrowing  most  of  all 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more. 

"Until  we  meet  again!     That  is  the  meaning 
Of  the  familiar  words  that  men  repeat 
At  parting  in  the  street. 
Ah,  yes,  till  then !     but  when  death  intervening 
Rends  us  asunder,  with  what  ceaseless  pain 
We  wait  for  the  again  ! 

The  friends  who  leave  us  do  not  feel  the.  sorrow 
Of  parting,  as  we  feel  it,  who  must  stay 

Lamenting,  day  by  day, 
And  knowing,  when  we  wake  upon  the  morrow, 
We  shall  not  find  in  its  accustomed  place 

The  one  beloved  face. 

It  were  a  double  grief,  if  the  departed 
Being  released  from  earth,  should  retain 

A  sense  of  earthly  pain  ; 
It  were  a  double  grief,  if  the  true-hearted, 
Who  loved  us  here,  should  on  the  further  shore 

Remember  us  no  more.    • 

Believing,  in  the  midst  of  our^afflictions, 

That  death  is  a  beginning,  not  an  end, 

We  cry  to  them,  and  send 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  I).  D.  35 

Farewells,  that  better  might  be  called  predictions, 
Being  foreshadowings  of  the  future,  thrown 
Into  the  vast  Unknown. 

Faith  overleaps  the  confines  of  our  reason, 
And  if  by  faith,  as  in  old  times  was  said, 

Women  received  their  dead 
Raised  up  to  life,  then  only  for  a  season 
Our  partings  are,  nor  shall  we  wait  in  vain 

Until  we  meet  again  ! 

Henky  W.  Longfellow. 


III. 

T  was  said  in  the  Sketch  that  Dr.  Spots- 
wood  resigned  the  pastoral  oversight  of 
the  New  Castle  church  in  the  spring  of 
1883.  On  Saturday,  the  24th  of  March, 
of  that  year,  a  congregational  meeting  was  held  to 
consider  what  action  should  be  taken  with  respect 
to  the  proposed  resignation.  The  conclusion  arrived 
at  is  fully  expressed  in  the    following    Resolutions : 

Whereas,  our  beloved  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Spctswood, 
on  account  of  impaired  physical  health,  has  requested  the 
congregation  to  unite  with  him  in  application  to  Presbytery 
for  a  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  so  long  existing,  and 

Whereas,  in  justice  to  him,  and  feeling  the  reasona- 
bleness of  his  request,  we  cannot  with  propriety  oppose  his 
wishes,  therefore  , 

Resolved,  That  while  it  would  be  our  choice  that  he 
should  retain  the  relation  of  Pastor  Emeritus  to  the  con- 
gregation, yet,  in  accordance  with  his  decided  preference,  we 
are  willing  to  join  him  in  the  aforesaid  application  to  Presbytery. 

Resolved,  That  we  fully  recognize  and  highly  prize  his 
long  and  faithful  ministrations,  and  shall  always  cherish  a 
remembrance  of  them  with  deep  feelings  of  love  and  esteem. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Taylor, 
W.  J.  Ferris,  Moderator  of  meeting* 

Secretary. 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  2>7 

Mr.  George  W.  Turner  and  David  Stewart,  jr., 
M.  D.,  were  chosen  as  the  commissioners  to  represent 
the  congregation  in  Presbytery. 

At  the  spring  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  which 
was  held  in  Middletown,  Del.,  the  resignation  of 
Dr.  Spotswood  and  the  joint  application  for  a  dis- 
solution of  the  pastoral  relation  were  received  and 
acted  upon.  A  committee  consisting  of  the  Rev. 
J.  Howard  Nixon,  D.  D.,  and  the  Rev.  W.  W.  Taylor, 
was  appointed  to  prepare  a  paper  in  which  might 
be  suitably  expressed  the  sentiments  of  the  Pres- 
bytery in  view  of  the  dissolution.  The  report  of 
that  committee  is  given  in  the  following : 

In  acceding  to  the  joint  request  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Spots- 
wood  and  the  New  Castle  church  for  the  dissolution  of  the 
pastoral  relation  which  has  so  long  and  so  happily  existed  be- 
tween them,  the  Presbytery  desires  to  put  on  record  its  strong 
sense  of  the  fidelity  and  godly  sincerity  with  which,  for  forty- 
two  years,  our  beloved  brother  has  ministered  to  the  charge 
over  which  so  long  ago  the  Holy  Ghost  made  him  an  over- 
seer; we  thank  God  for  all  that  he  has  done  by  His  faith- 
ful servant  to  whom  He  has  given  grace  to  hold  forth  the 
Word  of  Life,  to  feed  the  flock  of  God  in  wisdom  and  kind- 
ness and  true  Christian  sympathy,  and  to  walk  before  his 
people  in  the  purity  and  blamelessness  of  life  which  becomes 
every  minister  of  the  Gospel   of  Christ.      We   would    further 


38  IN  MEMO RI AM. 

express  the  hope  that  we  may,  in  the  good  providence  of  God, 
long  continue  to  have  his  presence  and  the  aid  of  his  coun- 
sels and  prayers  in  the  meetings  of  this  body,  and  our  prayer 
shall  be  that  his  last  days  may  be  cheered  and  crowned  by 
special  manifestations  of  the  friendship  of  the  Master,  and 
and  the  love  of  the  Spirit. 

Resolved,  That  the  stated  clerk  transmit  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Spotswood  a  copy  of  this  resolution. 

The  following  letter,  written  to  Dr.  Spotswood 
at  this  time,  by  a  member  of  the  church,  reveals 
the  strong  hold  he  had  gotten  upon  the  affections 
of  those  to  whom  he  had  so  long  ministered.  What 
is  here  so  beautifully  expressed  may  undoubtedly 
be  taken  as  the  voice  of  very  many  who,  in  this 
separation,  experienced  feelings  of  sorrow  and  regret. 

In  a  time  like  this  our  feelings  towards  you  are  too  ten- 
der to  admit  of  our  talking  much  on  the  subject,  but  I  want 
to  assure  you  of  our  unwavering  affection.  To  us,  as  a  family, 
you  have  not  only  been  the  loved  and  faithful  pastor,  but 
the  dear,  tried,  and  intimate  friend— so  closely  associated  with 
the  dear  ones  who  have  preceded  us  to  the  Heavenly  Home. 
You  have  always  rejoiced  with  us  in  our  joys,  and  wept  with 
us  in  our  times  of  sore  bereavement,  visited  and  prayed  with 
us  in  our  hours  of  sickness,  and  in  the  pulpit  you  have 
preached  to  us  the  pure  gospel,    giving   us   sound   doctrine, 


REV.  JOHN  B.   SPOTS  WOOD,  D.  D.  39 

while  in  your  going  out  and  coming  in,  in  our  midst,  you 
have  set  us  the  example  of  a  Christian  gentleman. 

In  the  severance  of  this  tie  which  so  long  bound  us 
together,  it  is  the  greatest  comfort  to  us  to  feel  that  we  will 
still  have  you  and  your  family  with  us.  And  earnestly  we 
pray  that  your  health  may  be  restored,  and  that  you  may 
long  be  spared  to  us. 

These  words  very  feebly  express  our  feelings  of  love 
and  gratitude,  but  I  know  you  will  accept  them  as  coming 
from  all  our  hearts. 

On  Sabbath  morning,  Feb.  29th,  but  a  little  more 
than  a  week  after  the  funeral  services,  the  resolu- 
tions, here  appended,  were  presented  to  the  congre- 
gation at  the  close  of  divine  service.  These  reso- 
lutions had  been  previously  adopted  by  the  Session, 
with  the  intention  of  submitting  them  for  congre- 
gational action.  They  were  read  by  Mr.  William 
F.  Lane,  a  Ruling  Elder,  after  a  few  words  of  in- 
troduction by  the  pastor,  and  their  unanimous  adop- 
tion by  a  rising  vote  was  followed  by  prayer  and 
the  apostolic  benediction : 

Whereas,  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  from 
us,  by  death,  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Spotswood,  D.  D.,  who  as  our  be- 
loved pastor,  ministered  in  this  church  for  the  period  of  forty 
years  ; 


40  IN  MEMORIAM. 

Resolved,  ist,  That  we  recognize  in  this  sad  bereavement 
the  hand  of  God.  Submissively  therefore  would  we  bow  be- 
fore Him,  knowing  that  He  doeth  all  things  well ;  and  that 
He  will  overrule  this  providence  for  His  own  glory  and  our 
highest  good. 

Resolved,  2d,  That  we  gladly  witness  to  his  fidelity  as 
a  pastor,  and  to  the  earnestness  of  his  longing  to  be  used  for 
the  advancement  of  the  Divine  glory,  and  the  furtherance  of 
the  Master's  cause  and  kingdom  in  the  world. 

Resolved,  3d,  That  while  we  feel  deeply  this  loss,  and 
sincerely  lament  it,  we  rejoice  in  the  assurance  that  he  has  been 
taken  to  his  unfailing  reward,  and  that  our  loss  is  therefore 
his  eternal  gain. 

Resolved,  4th,  That  his  life  as  a  Christian  minister  was 
always  a  power  for  good,  in  our  community  ;  that  he  was  ever 
ready  to  do  good  as  he  had  opportunity  ;  and  that,  ' '  he  be- 
ing dead,  yet  speaketh." 

Resolved,  5th,  That  we  sympathize  most  deeply  with  his 
beloved  family  in  this  sore  bereavement ;  and  would  commend 
them  affectionately  to  Him  who  has  promised  to  be  the  Hus- 
band of  the  widow,  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless. 

Resolved,  6th,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent 
to  the  family,  and  also  be  published  in  the  leading  journals  of 
our  Church. 

In  our  seasons  of  affliction  and  sorrow  the 
comfort  and  sympathy  extended  by  loving  friends 
is  ever  most  acceptable.  Even  the  Redeemer  Him- 
self, in  His  agony  in  the  Garden,  craved  and  looked 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS  WOOD,  D.  D.  4 1 

for  the  tender  and  sympathetic  interest  of  the  chosen 
three. 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  the  family  of  Dr. 
Spc  .wood,  in  their  hour  of  heavy  bereavement,  had 
th  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  unnumbered  friends 
w  re  deeply  touched,  and  were  commending  them, 
daily,  to  the  God  of  all  comfort  and  consolation. 
Letters  of  condolence  at  once  flowed  in  upon  them 
almost  unceasingly,  proving  indeed  how  exalted  a 
place  the  departed  husband  and  father  had  held  and 
still  held  in  the  affections  of  the  writers. 

At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  Session,  the 
use,  in  this  Memorial,  of  a  few  of  these  letters  has 
been  permitted.  They  will  serve  the  purpose  —  the 
chief  purpose  in  mind — of  showing  the  reader  what 
was  thought  of  Dr.  Spotswood  by  those  beyond 
his  own  parish  and  Presbytery. 

Six  letters  are  therefore  offered  to  the  reader, 
all  of  which,  excepting  the  first,  are  addressed  to 
Mrs.  Spotswood.  Their  arrangement  in  the  Me- 
morial is  according  to  the  dates.  The  first  is  from 
the  Rev.  William  Blackwood,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  pastor 
of  the  Ninth  Presbyterian  church,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
and  is  addressed  to  Dr.  Spotswood's  daughter  Lucy, 
the  wife  of  George  Peirce,  Esq.,  a  prominent  mem- 


42  IN  MEMORIAM. 

ber  of  the  legal  profession  in  Philadelphia.  It  is 
dated  Feb.  19,  1885. 

I  am  sure  that  you  and  all  the  members  of  your  family 
give  me  credit  for  the  deep  heartfelt  sympathy  which  I  feel 
for  you  and  for  them  in  this  season  of  sorrow.  How  am- 
nion but  how  useless  the  expression,  "  Oh,  you  know  he  as 
so  aged,  or  he  was  so  long^  weakly  and  a  sufferer,  and  this 
must  be  expected."  Yes,  it  was  expected,  but,  all  the  while, 
death  is  death,  let  it  come  at  any  age  or  after  any  prepara- 
tion. 

The  vacancy,  the  yearning  of  the  heart  that  can  not  be 
filled,  the  voice  never  to  be  heard  again,  the  tender  associa- 
tions of  years  intensified  by  time  suddenly  ended, — but  why 
enumerate  ?  Ever  since  Eve  looked  on  the  face  of  her  dead 
son,  the  soul  has  felt  the  loss  that  nature  never  can  supply. 
Blessed  be  God,  you  have  that  which  nature  can  not  give,  and 
which  nothing  can  take  away.  A  noble  life  has  been  ended 
by  the  removal  of  your  dear  father.  Yes,  a  noble  life,  for  he 
was  great  in  his  honesty,  his  simplicity,  his  earnestness,  his 
freedom  from  guile,  his  faithfulness,  his  purity  of  aim  in  the 
work  given'  him  by  the  Master  to  do,  and  with  what  single- 
ness of  heart  and  persistency  of  effort  he  did  that  work  was 
seen  of  all  who  knew  him. 

It  is  right  that  all  who  knew  him  in  the  sacred  circle 
of  a  beloved  home  should  mourn  with  a  godly  sorrow  ;  but 
let  it  be  a  sorrow  mingled  with  joy.  His  toil  and  work  are 
ended,  faith  is  no  longer  expectant,  for  all  is  now  fruition. 
But  I  need  not  enlarge,  for  you  know  all  these  things.  .    .    . 

Will  you  commend    me    very    tenderly    to    your    dear 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  43 

mother  and  your  sisters  ?  I  think  they  all  know  how  I  loved 
and  honored  your  dear  father,  and  I  wish  they  could  feel  how 
I  deplore  his  loss.  It  has  come  very  near  to  myself,  for  I 
am  beginning  to  feel  as  if  I  were  alone.  I  hope  to  see  you 
on  your  return.     God  bless  you.     Ever  lovingly, 

William   Blackwood. 

The  next  letter  is  from  the  Rev.  Asa  Bullard, 
D.  D.,  a  Congregational  pastor  in  Cambridgeport, 
Mass.,  and  is  dated  Feb.  2.1,  1885.  It  will  be  seen 
from  this  letter  that  its  writer  and  Dr.  Humphrey 
of  Louisville  are  two  of  the  surviving  college  class- 
mates of  Dr.  Spotswood.  The  friendship  formed  in 
student  days  continued,  with  ever  increasing  firmness, 
for  upwards  of  sixty  years ! 

I  was  greatly  afflicted  last  evening  to  see,  by  my  paper, 
that  your  dear  husband  and  my  greatly  esteemed  classmate 
has  been  called  away  from  us.  Only  four  names  now  stand 
on  our  college  catalogue  of  the  class  of  1828,  without  the  sig- 
nificant*. I  received  a  most  interesting  letter  from  our  dear 
friend,  dated  May  23,  1883,  that  I  have  just  re-read.  Last 
summer  our  classmate,  Rev.  Dr.  E.  P.  Humphrey  of  Louis- 
ville, dined  with  me  at  my  home,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  talk 
of  our  college  days  and  of  the  few  in  our  class  still  remain- 
ing.   We  spoke  especially  of  Brother  Spotswood 

How  strange  that  our  friend  should  be  released  and  called 
home  when  only  seventy-seven  years  of  age,  and  here  I  am 
spared,  and  if  life  is  continued  till  the   26th   of  next   month 


44  IN  MEMORIAM. 

I  shall  be  eighty-one  ?    No  ten  years  of  my  life  have  I  been 
in  better  health  or  able  to  work  more  easily  than   the   past 

ten. 

I  most  deeply  sympathize  with  you,  my  respected  friend, 
and  with  your  children  in  this  sore  bereavement.  But  this 
dark  cloud  has  such  a  silver  lining !  What  a  life  of  useful- 
ness he  has  had  !  What  warm  friends  have  erer  been  round 
him  !  He  has  fought  his  good  fight  and  is  now  receiving  his 
eternal  and  glorious  reward.  You  and  your  children  are 
brought  into  a  new  relation  to  God.  You  can  now  receive 
some  of  the  promises  that  were  never  before  applicable  to 
you.  He  is  the  God  of  the  widow  and  the  Father  of  the  father- 
less. 

Please  express  to  your  children  my  sympathy  for  them 
in  their  bereavement,  and  accept  for  them  and  for  yourself  my 
best  wishes  and  prayers  that  this  bereavemement  and  "all 
things"  may  work  together  for  your  present  and  future  wel- 
fare. Yours  in  sympathy  and  Christian  regard, 

Asa  Bullard. 

Among  the  many  letters  received  at  this  time, 
from  old  and  tried  friends,  but  few  could  have  been 
more  gratifying  than  that  which  is  now  presented 
from  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Roberts,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  Sec- 
retaries of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions.  It  is 
written  from  23  Centre  Street,  N.  Y.,  and  bears  date 
of  Feb.  27,  1885. 

I  was  greatly  pained  to  see  in  the  paper,  a  few  days 
ago,  an  announcement  of  the  death  of  your  dear  husband.     I 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTS WOOD,  D.  D.  45 

had  not  heard  of  his  sickness,  and  therefore  was  not  pre- 
pared for  his  departure.  Death  is  a  dread  messenger.  He 
severs  so  many  tender  ties,  breaks  up  happy  homes,  and 
casts  the  air  of  sadness  over  so  many  bright  faces.  It  will 
be  impossible  for  me  to  think  of  New  Castle,  or  even  Del- 
aware, without  recalling  the  memory  of  the  sainted  dead. 

I  have  looked  upon  Dr.  Spotswood  for  twenty-five  years 
as  one  of  my  dearest  friends.  He  received  me  so  cordially 
and  treated  me  so  kindly  on  my  appearance  in  Delaware. 
He  officiated  at  my  ordination  and  installation.  I  shall  never 
forget  his  words  of  encouragement.  His  treatment  of  me  in 
his  own  loved  home  was  courteous  and  affectionate.  He  has 
gone  to  his  rest,  and  his  memory  is  fragrant.  Blessed  is  the 
church  that  has  such  men  as  the  Spotswoods,  the  Backuses, 
and  others  of  kindred  spirits  on  her  rolls !  He  has  joined 
hundreds  of  his  friends  in  Heaven. 

How  you  will  miss  him  in  the  home,  in  the  social  cir- 
cle, and  in  the  church  !  He  has  gone  up  higher.  Servant 
of  God,  well  done  !  He  has  left  behind  the  Everlasting  Arms 
on  which  you  may  lean,  the  sympathizing  Saviour  to  be 
touched  with  the  feeling  of  your  infirmities,  and  the  Spirit  of 
consolation  to  comfort  you  during  the  remaining  years  of  your 
lonely  pilgrimage.  I  need  not  tell  you  which  way  you  are 
now  to  turn  for  strength  and  consolation.  My  dear  wife  joins 
with  me  in  assurance  to  you  all  of  our  deepest  sympathy, 
our  fervent  prayers,  and  our  richest  benediction. 

With  kindest  regards  to  the    dear   household,  I    remain, 
Yours  ever, 

Wm.  C.  Roberts. 


46  IN  MEMORIAM. 

Following  this  letter  is  one  from  the  Rev. 
Thomas  L.  Janeway,  D.  D.,  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia  Central.     It  is  dated  March  2,  1885. 

I  was  grieved  to  hear  of  the  loss  of  your  dear  husband 
and  my  old  friend.  I  recall  with  melancholy  pleasure  my  visits 
to  your  home  in  former  days,  when  I  used  to  preach  on  mis- 
sions in  his  church.  I  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  clear- 
cut  integrity  and  entire  honesty,  and  I  have  always  dwelt, 
with  pleasure  on  his  character  and  the  friendship  he  had  for 
me.  My  old  friends  are  dropping  every  one.  May  I  be  so 
blessed  as  to  meet  them  in  Heaven  !  God  sustain  and  com- 
fort you,  be  your  Husband  and  Rock.  Forty-one  years  in 
these  shifting  days  is  no  mean  honor,  and   full  proof  of  the 

value  set  upon  him  by  his  people I  need  not  point 

to  the  believer's  consolations  in  such  a  bereavement — you 
know  them,  blessed  be  our  God.  God  bless  and  keep  you 
and  abundantly  comfort  you  now  in  your  desolation. 

Yours  in  the  hopes  of  the  Gospel  which  he  preached  so 
long,  Thomas  L.  Janeway. 

The  next  is  from  the  venerable  Rev.  Edward  P. 
Humphrey,  D.  D.  LL.  D.,  Pastor  Emeritus,  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  mention  of  whom  has  already  been 
made.     The  date  of  this  letter  is  March  4,  1885. 

I  have  just  received  two  newspapers  from  Delaware  an- 
nouncing the  death  of  dear  Dr.  Spotswood.     I  had  heard  tha 

* 


REV.  JOHN  B.  SPOTSWOOD,  D.  D.  47 

he  had  resigned  his  pastoral  charge,  but  I  supposed  that  he 
was  in  comfortable  health  ;  so  that  I  am  startled  as  well  as 
grieved  when  I  think  I  shall  not  see  him    again  in  this  life. 

I  offer  to  you  and  to  your  children  the  assurance  of  my 
warmest  Christian  sympathies.  He  was  a  good  man,  greatly 
beloved  and  honored  by  his  brethren.  In  our  college  class 
he  was  a  great  favorite  for  his  generous  and  noble  qualities, 
and  his  manly  Christian  character.  Only  three  or  four  of  our 
class  survive  him  ;  and  we  shall  all  feel  his  loss  the  more  that 
so  few  of  us  are  left. 

I  pray  that  our  heavenly  Father  will  sustain  you  in  this 
deep  affliction.  You  will  be  comforted  by  the  confidence  you 
have  that  he  was  a  most  faithful  servant  of  our  blessed  Lord ; 
and  that  he  is  now  rejoicing  in  his  presence  with  exceeding 
joy.  O  that  my  own  last  end  might  be  like  his  !  I  loved 
him,  and  rejoice  in  all  the  good  he  has  done,  and  in  all  the 
blessings  which  the  Lord  has  bestowed  upon  his  family.  .  . 
Very  faithfully  yours, 

Edward  P.  Humphrey. 

The  last  letter  to  be  presented  is  from  the  Rev. 
Peyton  Harrison,  an  aged  servant  of  the  Lord,  liv- 
ing in  retirement  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  wait- 
ing patiently  the  summons  to  depart  and  to  be  with 
Christ.     It  is  dated  March  io,  1885. 

I  deeply  sympathize  with  you  and  your  daughters  in  the 
death  of  your  husband  and   father. 

Surely  no  family  had  ever  stronger  consolation  in  Christ ! 


48  IN  MEMORIAM. 

Yet  your  tears  must  flow  for  your  personal  loss.  I  have  known 
him  for  fifty  years,  and  in  all  that  time  I  have  known  or  heard 
of  no  one  act  inconsistent  with  his  pure  character  as  a  Chris- 
tian minister.  Yet  it  is  not  on  his  righteousness  that  we  rest 
an  assured  hope  of  his  salvation.  His  excellent  character  and 
irreproachable  conduct  were  the  fruit  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  imputed  to  him  by  faith.     This  is  the  Rock  on  which 

alone  we  can  safely  build In  his  death  another  old 

and  esteemed  friend  has  passed  away.  Few  are  left  whom 
I  have  known  and  loved  for  a  half  century.  I  feel,  as  each 
falls,  more  and  more  the  necessity  of  being  also  ready.  We 
know  not  what  we  shall  be,  but  we  know  that  we  shall  be 
like  him,  for  we  shall  see  Him  as  He   is. 

With    Christian    love   and   sympathy,   your   friend   and 
toother  in  Christ,  Peyton  Harrison. 


"And  we  desire  that  every  one  of  you  do  shew 
the  same  diligence  to  the  full  assurance  of  hope  unto 
the  end: 

"  That  ye  be  not  slothful ',  but  followers  of  them 
who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  promises!' 
—  Heb.  vi:  II,  12. 

THE   END. 


